A few weeks ago, I got a nice email from a reader, full of praise and constructive feedback (I love those!) and in the mail there were a few questions.
I thought I’d respond to it in post form and maybe encourage people to send more questions at chattydm@chattydm.net.
If it catches on, it may become a new feature.
Here’s the questions part of the reader’s email:
I would really like to see a post about interesting terrain features for encounters. Do you do random encounters? What about random magic items? Both have been problematic for me in the past. Also, what has worked for you in making really memorable bad guys?
G.
Terrain features:
The basic D&D terrain features can be a bit dull, being mostly things that block the way, can be climbed or make you move slower. However, combining them can be really cool.
When I used to have more time for prepping games I would create fights with trees, cliffs, Scree (Gravel that can be slippery) and Swampy squares. When we celebrated our 20 years of Role Playing 2 years ago, I made a Dragon battle on a map that combined all these elements. I had more fun with the map than with the monsters.
However, my best discovery was Mike Mearl’s Mastering Iron Heroes. The book introduced the concept of Action Zones… which are a set of rules to design and use interactive areas in a battle (basically a combination of traps and terrain features).
For example, a ruined 10′ tall wall needs a DC 15 to climb onto it, a Balance Check DC 10 to walk on and a DC 15 STR to bring a 5’X10′ section on an adjacent character who takes 3d6 of damage.
Other examples:
- Ruined Stone Columns that can be toppled
- An Altar that pulses waves of fear, causing all creatures to save vs being shaken
- A camp fire with poisounous twigs sitting beside it. Chucking the twigs in the fire causes a non-magical Cloudkill effect.
I hope this feature makes it into 4e… if not I may write some 4e rules for it and publish them in January 2008 if the system license (and the current owner of the Iron Heroes copyright) allows it.
The D&D miniature Fantastic Locations also present beautiful terrain on which you can create your own rules for features (or use the one that are described in the rules booklet). Thses map feature things like lava rivers, bottomless chasms, fungi forests, stalagtite that act as caltrops and squares of blood rock that double the threat range of weapons. All really cool features.
Random Encounters:
I don’t do random encounters, ever. I do however setup fights that do not directly advance the story when I feel that the players would enjoy them. I also make sure that creatures fit the game’s story.
However, in a recent post where I asked the same question, other DMs have chimed in, saying that they used random encounters by pre-rolling them in their planning in order to better prepare for them and have the stats on hand.
If your group likes Random Encounters I would suggest that you pre-roll them so you can make sure you won’t be caught off guard with a result you don’t want. However, they are not necessary and played as is, straight from a table while the players are waiting, is definitively a Retro-Stupid element (i.e. it is enjoyed by some but is not so mainstream anymore).
Random Magic Item:
Ever since I purchased the Magic Item Compendium, I have been using random magic item generation almost exclusively for unassigned treasure. The charts in that book are sensational (plus it allows you to create a full treasure in mere minutes).
Much like I suggest in the last section, I pre-roll them so I keep some control, but I usually retain the results.
However, I do not usually determine the equipment of NPC/Monsters randomly as I prefer to pick and choose items that are useful for the adversaries.
Memorable Bad guy:
My easy answer would be choose a character-specific trope and flesh out your bad guy accordingly. But I’ll try to be more helpful.
For a villain to be memorable it needs non-combat traits that make him completely different from the rest of your nameless mooks. I remember a Monte Cook article in Dungeon Magazine that suggested you pick 2 defining features (physical or personality-related) for a NPC and bring these features into play whenever the NPC showed up in a scene.
For memorable bad guys, you need to pick over the top traits that will be seared in your players brains.
I say non-combat because while nifty combat abilities may make a fight memorable, it won’t make the bad guy memorable. However, you can always make the trait have a combat effect. Adding tentacles to an otherwise human bad guy is an often seen example in published adventures.
So go ahead, make the Overlord’s toady lisp like an Igor or have your villain have a weird echo in his voice (only to be revealed that he has demonic tumour embedded in his chest)! The freakier the better I say!
Give me More! (Not to be confused with Gimme Moore)
Feel free to add your own tips. Also, I would be more than happy to respond to any other kinds of requests. I might not get right down to them but I will answer all of them, either on the blog or directly by email.
Or a pool of orange water that bubbles and boils, yet is frigidly cold, and can be used to create creatures from souls?
No need to worry, dear Chatty. The trap system in 4e is meant to be used as part of a combat encounter. For instance, in one of the preview adventures, there was a rolling boulder trap running through the room, while the party was fighting kobolds.
All you need to do is build it with the 4e trap rules, and make it triggered (as opposed to always active). And there you go!
I don’t use many traps or interesting terrain features in my game. I really should though. I’ll have to pick up that book you mentioned.
“For memorable bad guys, you need to pick over the top traits that will be seared in your players brains.”
This is really important. One of my favorite things to do when I plan any NPC regardless of friend or foe is to assign them a semi-unique voice, one that the players will immediately recognize if I start talking like that. For example, my fighter types will have deep or gravelly voices and belly laughs. My roguish types will be either charmers (the type you’d meet in a bar, not James Bond) or they’ll be Batman. My servants will be a “Jeeves” butler or a grovelling peasant. Some people can’t do voices very well, but that’s ok as long you play it up as much as possible. It doesn’t even have to be a voice. It could be a nervous twitch, or they’re always smiling. Has anybody actually used voices to any great effect?
I love making my bad guys fun for the group. I believe that a adventure story, (movie, book or RPG) is only as good as the villain. What would Star Wars be without Darth Vader?
I create the main villains in my games like just like I want my players to create their characters. I give them a unique personality and make sure they have a reason (no matter how twisted) for doing villainous things. I try to prevent my really good villains from being killed off early. I try to work several conflicts into the game so that the characters and the villain develop a real hatred for each other. This can make a great climax at the end of the story, one that the players will remember and talk about for a long while. To me, that is just basic story telling, and good story telling is one of a GM’s primary jobs.
@Graham: I’m not worried much since Mearl’s name is going on the core book so chances are the concept of battlefield traps will allow for action zones too.
@Jason: Doing voices is not my forte (I’m known for having only 3 voices: Mine, Lebanese salesperson and Indian Call Center agent). However I’ve started getting into character by changing my speech patterns and adopting different personalties. It really does work…
@Duck: Welcome on the blog! Your approach is spot on for memorable villains. It’s protecting them from death at the player’s hands without cheating them that’s becoming an artform.
I pull out the voices from time to time. The Italian crime boss, the Canadian logger, the back country hick, and the English nobleman are all ones I have used in the past. I especially love pulling out the low gravelly death metal voice for demons and devils. (Think Nathan Explosion from Metalocalypse.)
Fun stuff, but it gets tired quickly if you do it too much.
I agree with Chatty about the Magic Item Compendium. One of the best 3.5 books Wizards put out.
@Greenvesper The Canadian Logger??? How does that sounds? All the other you mentioned are sufficiently present in movies to get a good idea of what it sounds like.
Personally, I’m a bad actor and would not want to incite other to suicide by trying to make the voice of my character… 😉
@Yan: Heck man, you’re a big guy and you managed to play a 20lbs faerie for a few months…. that wasn’t too bad!
Yeah but I did not make the voice acting… That would have been wrong… 🙁
Yan brings up a very interesting point…
Among his various player preference, Yan is a Story Teller. He likes epic stories and he likes shaping them…. but like a lot of us, his eloquence isn’t usually on par with the feeling he would want to convey in a scene. (We make up for it in email exchange between games)
So how does one create an enjoyable story-telling atmosphere if the players aren’t generally comfortable in doing ‘deep’ role-playing?
I know I irk a few readers when I comment on the story telling style, but my personal experience in the 90’s seemed to be that story telling games was about a GM taking most (if not sometimes all) the creative space with his players sitting back and enjoying the show (I was in charge of a Student Gaming club in college, during the Vampire the Masquerade/Over the Edge years).
I know it doesn’t have to be like that but how can one foster fun story-telling with introverted Mastermind (INTJ) type players?
Especially when the DM is of the Extroverted type and takes a lot of space 🙂
So if no one steps up to answer this here or in blog post, I’m definitively going to be post it on the blog… I want to have stronger shared stories element but I don’t want to make players lose fun because it gets uncomfortable….
Random Encounters: I do use these, I don’t use modules all that much, only when I need the PC’s to be a level or two higher before they can continue the planned adventure. Character level is important, since I always start new characters at 1st level. Random encounters help keep this element in check, but they must serve the story as well. Monsters and enemies don’t just hang around in their evil lairs, they are out wandering around and I really don’t want to do the amount of prep where I know where they are at every minute of every day.
Encounter lists are reusable, filled mostly with common things that you’ll find in the area, but also a couple of rare monsters, and a section that the DM can chose depending on the situation.
The key to random encounters is not to be a slave to them. I list times of the day and night to do encounter checks, but you’ve just got to use your own judgment, for example if they are headed into a really harsh encounter where they’ll need to be at full hp, then don’t roll random encounters. Also they should be done logically. If there is a haunted wood full of thieves, they are going to scare off most predictors like bears, just ignore bears and put 1d4 thieves in its place.
As a rule, random encounters shouldn’t be all that dangerous, of course you want at least 1 thing on your list that will be extremely challenging just to keep things interesting.
D&D is like a tasty gumbo, there’s a surprise in every bite. Random Encounters are part of that gumbo. At first they are a pain in the butt to create, but once you have them, then you have them! They also add spice for me as a DM, I love working under pressure, and random encounters is definitely playing by the seat of your pants.
retro-stupid? Only if you don’t use logic when rolling them and interpreting what it means to your game. When playing long campaigns they are required to aid you to get the PC’s were they need to be to survive all of the mean stuff that you are doing to them. It also helps cut down on prep time, which any DM should get into.
@Chatty says, “So how does one create an enjoyable story-telling atmosphere if the players aren’t generally comfortable in doing ‘deep’ role-playing?”
God, now I’m flooding, but this wasn’t here when I originally posted a response.
Computer’s make this part easier then it use to be, all of my players have one so they can create nice and easy to read documents vs chicken scratches on notebook paper.
I find it important that the player loves their character. First game is always done at first level so that they can get a feel for who they are and how they are going to play them. The only thing that I do before we start the game is I tell them who knows who (I hate games with no reason for the characters to actually be together in the first place), now I don’t tell them “HOW” they know each other, that is their job.
After a game or two I have them write up where they are from, growing up, who their family was and how they got along. Who was a big inspiration in their lives, who taught them their trade, any rivals or love interests and other basic background information that will give me NPC’s to pepper into the game and tailor it to them in a way that the player does contribute.
Also they look to the future, what personal dreams and goals have they set for themselves, what would they be doing if they weren’t adventuring, and if the character has thought about what they are going to do once they are to old to do it anymore.
This isn’t some assignment that I’m going to grade or anything, nor does it even have a due date. It is meant to get the player excited about his character and were the adventure is going to go.
Speaking of goals, there are three basic goals that a character needs to keep in their minds. There is the main story goal, the group goal, and there should also be personal goals as well.
That’s how I do it anyway.
-RIP
@Rip: Good tips… may I suggest that you expound on that an post it on your blog? That would get readers I’m sure… me 1st and foremost!
Phil,
The quality of the performance is not that important. Being enthusiastic is. Many roleplayers have less trouble with enthusiasm than they do with acting.
HA HA!
But today for my blog I was planning on writing about what the game is really about, and of course that is to recruit players into your satanic cult and dominate their minds. . . but I guess that I can just do this next week, huh.
RIP
@Tommi: In that context, I’d say the GM’s job then is to foster that enthusiasm in the players and to weave it into the story.
@Rip: Lol! You can’t fault me to pull the ‘why don’t you blog about it’ thing all the time, my last Insight personality test pegged me as an ‘Inspirer-Motivator’
I haven’t tried running this so one of you uber d20 types might want to glance over this and see what you think. I just got asked a question by the GM of the D&D game I’m in and this was the answer. This isn’t quite the sort of terrain feature you were likely thinking of but maybe it’ll be useful.
One of the differences between exciting combats in movies, stories and computer games versus roleplaying games is movement. One scenario I came up with to foster this sort of thing involves a running battle across the tops of two moving platforms. Whether they’re stage coaches, the decks of two small ships, whatever. Anything will do as long as they’re both moving and have no reason to stay in lockstep with each other. In other words they’re rushing down a street and making turns, the river they’re on is rough or has bends, etc. Here’s the rough idea.
1. Lay out two sets of squares in a rectangular fashion. I think you can get away with stretching the size a little bit. The encounter is a bit more about fun than physics. Don’t worry about mapping any surroundings, just the platforms and where they are in relation to each other.
2. Get the players on board. If possible split either the players or the bad guys up a bit to start so they’re not all on one platform.
3. Adjust the positioning of the two platforms fairly often. Doesn’t have to be major changes. One or two squares movement is fine.
4. Occasionally give warning that an obstacle they can see ahead will be a hazard for anyone on the outside of one of the platforms. This can be signs hanging over the street or tree limbs or even rock if they’re racing down an underground river. If your players KO a bad guy because they bull rush him into the path of their favorite bar sign I don’t think you’ll have to worry about them remembering the fight.
5. Think of a skill use that would allow the players to influence where the platforms are relative to each other. Animal husbandry for coaches, a maritime profession for boats, etc. The difficulty can bounce around a bit due to the changing environment, going around turns, etc. Make sure you’re nice the first round someone tries this though.
6. Have fun and ham it up a little. If you play music pick a few active tracks you can loop for this.
Note: Commenter is a ditz and cannot be held responsible for forgetting things or just in general having hair-brained ideas. Attempt to use this at your own risk. 🙂
@Tommi: “The quality of the performance is not that important. Being enthusiastic is. Many roleplayers have less trouble with enthusiasm than they do with acting.”
I think you are absolutely right with that Tommi. Players and Game Masters come to the game with ideas of “this thing that I want to do will be cool” in their heads. If given the chance, they’ll do it.
@Chatty: “@Tommi: In that context, I’d say the GM’s job then is to foster that enthusiasm in the players and to weave it into the story.”
Exactly my thoughts. Structuring the session to give them that opportunity is all it usually takes. I have players who like to get deep down into the method actor mindset and stay in character voice all the time (even if it is a fishman who burbles everything they speak, and they player does it freakishly well) , and other players who just like to say “my character does this” and want the fact that their charisma score is 19 to do the rest for them. When they come into the spotlight I usually let them do it in their own ways.
@Lanir: I’m actually working out a map for an upcoming airship battle, and elements of that idea might get incorporated.
@ Lanir: Great idea… Those obstacles can lead to all kinds of skill rolls to keep one’s balance.
@John: I feel then that a lot of the stories we build in role playing game shape themselves up when we retell them between sessions or when you reminisce about past games. While they may not be professional narratives around the table, when it goes through the filter of a retelling it gains a lot of the characteristics of a tale.
Damn… if my Crunch Overlord persona catches me he’ll string me by my nascent story telling guts… but then again, this blog was mainly started to teach myself about other styles of DMing by exploring them online… then you guys came along and gave me a whole new way at looking at it…
I play for fun and to hang out with my firends, but those epic stories with extra crunchy bits are the icing!
Thanks all!
Hmm. That’s a good idea. I hadn’t even thought of having the obstacles you’re rushing towards affect squares other than the ones on the outer edges. One other idea did occur to me though. Have an NPC do a bull rush early on in the fight, even if doing so provokes an attack of opportunity. Just kind of sets the tone and reminds people they can do that (if your group are all into the maneuvers this might not be necessary, I just know I forget about them).
Last time I did an airship battle I used it as an opportunity to divide up the enemies. The players actually fought quite a few enemies but they were in small groups as the boarding actions took awhile to complete. Holding back enemies in reserve is one of the tricks I use when I’m either not sure how much the players can take (in terms of challenge or interest level) or as a way to make a fight seem epic. I just have to have a plan for removing them if they’re not needed.
@ Lanir: Those Action Zones I spoke about are great for exactly this kind of dynamic.
While the bull rush idea is great, don’t forget that if a NPC successfully pulls off this stunt on a PC, this will likely lead to a player kicked out of the fight for a long time…
Unless you factor in unplanned allies (like a Horseman following the Stage Coaches or Awakened Dolphins following the Boats) on which the fallen PC can grab onto and cry:
‘Follow them’!
Cue Cliché Rim Shot
🙂
Phil, on story creation: Some people do it before play (see, for example, over-elaborate cahracter histories), some do it in play, almost everyone does it after play. These are not mutually exclusive options.
On enthusiasm: Keeping it going is perhaps the most important part of gaming; without enthusiasm, there will be burn-out and bored players and a dying game.
Tommi’s last blog post..Game design =/= rpg design
Believe me or not… but I thought that Story-telling games were mostly ‘in play’ and not necessarily inclusive of the other 2 aspects you touch… which serves to show that I had no idea what it was about at all
..so then our group is a Story-telling one… with a lot of Butt-Kicking thrown in for good measure!
Hot Damn!
There is a lot of story now-aesthetic on Story-games (and Forge, presumably). Nevertheless, humans create narratives out of events and try to give meaning to them. That’s how humans work. Any rpg session is excellent fodder for this instinct, I’d say, even if the story was largely created in play.
Also: Railroading is story before play. So is other extensive scripting. It may even be somewhat exclusive with story in play, at least in extreme forms.
Which of these one wants to call story-telling is, well, a matter of taste (what the White Wolf’s Storytelling system facilitates is a matter of internet flamewars). I prefer story in play, have nothing against story after play and dislike too elaborate story before play.
(Also: I have only some idea what I am talking about.)
Tommi’s last blog post..Game design =/= rpg design